With steadfast devotion, I praised that Supreme Person—Puruṣa—using the ancient hymn dedicated to Him, summoning all my strength and reverence. “So be it,” I declared, and as I offered this hymn with heartfelt devotion, Janārdana, the Lord of gods and the very source of my being, received my praise. In that sacred moment, the goddess approached me and spoke: “O Brahman, make me the sacrificial offering, for the Puruṣa is my eternal progenitor.” Obeying her words, I performed the ritual. Beside the sacrificial post of time, I sprinkled the Puruṣa—who had manifested before me and was bound by the qualities of existence—placing Him upon the sacred grass. At that very instant, creation sprang forth from Him. From His mouth emerged the Brāhmaṇas, and from His arms, the Kṣatriyas. Indra and Agni were born from His mouth; from His breath came the wind; from His ears arose the directions; and from His head, the entire expanse of heaven. From His mind was born the moon, from His eyes the sun, from His navel the mid-space, and from His thighs, the people. His feet produced the Śūdra and the earth itself; from His hair follicles came the seers, and from His hair, all the plants. Domestic and wild animals arose from His nails; from His anus and genitals came worms, insects, and flying creatures. Indeed, everything—moving and unmoving, visible and invisible—came forth from Him. And from me, the gods were again produced. At that sacred moment, the very speech of Viṣṇu addressed me: “All is complete; creation has unfolded just as desired. Now, offer the vessels—both ordinary and special—into the fire. Remove the sacrificial post, the sacred grass, and all that is in the form of the officiating priests, the sacrifice itself, and the objects of meditation and contemplation. Release the ladle, the Puruṣa, the bonds—release everything, O Brahman.” As these divine words were spoken, I performed the prescribed oblations into the sacred fires—the gārhapatya, the dakṣiṇāgni, and others—in proper order. In each and every fire, as one offers the oblations, one should contemplate the Cosmic Person, the very source of the universe. Purified by mantra and pure in conduct, the deity of the sacrifice—who is the embodiment of the universe, the lord of all worlds, and the creator of everything—becomes present at those sacrificial pits. Viṣṇu Himself appears in different forms in each fire: as white in the Āhavanīya fire, as dark in the southern fire, and as yellow in the householder’s fire. At all times, Viṣṇu abides in these places; there is no place, anywhere, without Viṣṇu, the source of all. Following the rituals, I led forth the consecrated water with mantras, and that water became known as ‘praṇīta’. The auspicious river is also called praṇīta. After setting forth this water and purifying it with kuśa grass, drops of this sacred water fell as the act of purification was performed. Wherever these drops landed, sacred fords arose, endowed with great merit. Bathing at these holy places grants the fruit of sacrifice. Always adorned by the Lord of gods, wielder of the Śārṅga bow, these fords, with their steps descending to the water, are the means for all beings to ascend to Vaikuṇṭha. Wherever the purified kuśa grass fell upon the auspicious earth, offerings were made with kuśa grass, bestowing abundant merit. All who are satisfied with kuśa grass are said to have received the kuśa offering. Later, the sacred Gautamī river also joined there for another reason. When the praṇīta water was present, the gathering of praṇīta occurred. At the place of the kuśa offering, that ford became known as Kuśatarpaṇa. There, north of the Vindhya mountains, I established a sacrificial post, which became revered in the world as a refuge of Viṣṇu. A sacred fig tree stood there, inexhaustible and glorious, eternal and assuming the form of time itself. Remembering this tree grants the merit of sacrifice. This worship of my deity is known as Daṇḍakāraṇya. When the sacrifice was completed, I propitiated Viṣṇu with devotion. He who is called the Cosmic Person in the Veda—from whom the manifest world arose, from whom even I was born, and by whom this entire world is transformed—I bowed to that Lord of gods and established the auspicious place of my deity’s worship, extending twenty-four yojanas. Therefore, even today, O Nārada, three sacrificial pits remain, forms of the lord of sacrifice, Viṣṇu, wielder of the discus. From that time onward, the worship of my deity has been proclaimed. Even a worm or insect dwelling there ultimately becomes eligible for liberation. The Daṇḍaka forest is called the seed of righteousness and liberation. Especially, the region embraced by the Gautamī river became supremely holy. Whoever bathes, gives charity, or performs rites at the confluence of these sacred streams, or even offers kuśa grass there, attains the highest state. Recitation, study, or even listening with devotion to this account is known to grant all desires, bestowing both worldly enjoyment and liberation. The wise declare that on both banks of the river are sacred fords—eighty-six thousand in number—where merit has been described. O sage, even in Vārāṇasī, the Kuśatarpaṇa ford is supreme; there is none like it among all beings, moving or unmoving. Even its remembrance destroys the gravest sins, such as brahmin-murder. This ford, O sage, is considered the very gateway to heaven upon earth. It is known as Manyutīrtha, the destroyer of all sins. By remembering it, all desires are fulfilled and sins destroyed. Now, O sage, listen as I recount its greatness.